Skills to Pay the Bills
by Azshalade
Summary: Eren is an employee at Wall Rose Enterprises; a company specializing in the business of fashion. In an attempt to earn a raise, Eren unwittingly discovers a secret about his boss that could potentially put them both on the path to fame and possibly even...romance? Modern AU, rated T for now, later chapters will be M.
1. Beginnings

Well, I've come to the conclusion that I am physically incapable of writing one shots. They all seem to turn into multichaptered stories before I even realize it. This was supposed to be steamy office sex and instead it turned into an actual story. I hope you all enjoy!

* * *

_Just another day at the office; not different enough to be exciting yet too much to do to be boring. Will I ever get that promotion?_

These were the thoughts running through the mind of one Eren Jeager, who at present was sorting through a rather large stack of papers that had been piling up on his desk for the past week. The stack seemed never ending; Eren could have sworn when he'd clocked out the night before he'd gotten through at least half of it, and now it seemed like it magically regenerated and duplicated itself. Luckily for him, most of it was nothing but busy work, and it only took a quick glance and a messy signature to call the paper signed and ready to go.

He was currently employed for Wall Rose Enterprises, a bustling company on the verge of making it big. His workplace was a medium sized office building consisting of eight floors including the lobby. They were leaders in the business of fashion; specifically, it was a place where hopeful designers submitted their creations for evaluation and possible marketing. Should the design be approved by a committee a deal would be made and the article of clothing would be manufactured and sold on the market. It made Eren happy to see the elated look of the client when he delivered the news that their idea had been approved. Unfortunately, new talent that was actually, well, _talented _was hard to come by and more often than not people would leave his office in tears or fits of rage.

Very few of them understood that it was not Eren's decision whether or not their designs made it to the sales floor; he was simply the messenger. Unfortunately that meant that he was more often than not the nearest person to take their frustrations out on. Some days he seriously regretted ever applying; they did not pay him enough to justify that kind of abuse.

Those clients were far easier to deal with than established designers, however. Once one of their projects had been accepted more often than not they would let it go to their head. Dealing with fussy clients that made the company millions was not Eren's cup of tea; he was expected to grant their every wish no matter how ridiculous. One time he'd even had to agree to babysit a client's cat while they were away on business; a week and several hundred scratch marks later he'd finally decided that he was most certainly not fond of felines.

Eren sighed as he glanced at the clock hanging on the wall in his tiny office for the sixth time in ten minutes. It wasn't even noon yet and already he was wishing for the work day to end. It wasn't a bad job, really; go to work at 9, do menial tasks until noon, eat lunch in the break room or the local café, and then get back to work answering calls and keeping clients happy. It paid decently well at first, his wages covering his rent, gas and food expenses with ease. All was going rather well until one day when Armin showed up at his door in tears and holding a suitcase that contained everything he'd ever owned in his entire life.

It turned out that Armin's grandfather had passed away and left the boy his estate; however, greedy relatives had undermined his will and sold the house out from under Armin's nose and left him homeless. Not having any other family members that he was on good terms with, the blonde had nowhere to turn except for his best friend, who couldn't refuse to take the boy in. They'd ended up sharing Eren's tiny one bedroom apartment, Armin paying his share of rent by working at the local library. It didn't pay very well, but the way the blonde's face lit up when he was surrounded by stacks of old, dusty tomes was priceless and Eren encouraged him to keep the job.

Their combined income had been more than enough to pay for rent, utilities, and carpooling expenses at first. However, as much as Armin denied that sleeping on the couch was perfectly fine (despite Eren offering his own twin sized bed for the blonde's use) it was clear that the boy wasn't sleeping well. He'd often wake up with dark circles under his eyes and an ache in his lower back; the latter apparent by the empty bottles of pain medication piling up in the garbage can. There was also the issue of Armin's dog Annabell, a golden Labrador with gorgeous crystal blue eyes that despite her size insisted on sleeping with Armin on the tiny couch, covering the furniture and carpet with dog hair and chewing up the end of Eren's cheap coffee table.

Eren loved animals, especially dogs, but it was becoming more and more apparent that a one bedroom apartment was not the ideal living space for a sixty pound lab and two adolescent boys. After much deliberating and arguing with Armin (who always insisted that everything was fine and that he didn't want to make a fuss) Eren had come to the conclusion that it was time to move into something more spacious. His stepsister Mikasa, who was currently living in a dormitory with her roommate Sasha, had insisted on helping Eren in his search for a new place to live.

It turned out that their timing was horrible; there were no vacancies in any of the nearby apartment complexes, and none of the duplexes around them allowed pets. It wasn't until Armin had stumbled upon an ad online for a rental house that they'd finally found their solution.

It wasn't the most beautiful of houses, but it was indeed quite spacious. It was located in a rural area at the end of a quiet gravel road and surrounded by trees. The siding was plain white paneling, a bit dirty from age but otherwise nice. There were many windows, some of them having cracked panes that would need to be replaced eventually. It had two stories, including three bedrooms and two bathrooms and an oversized backyard that was currently overgrown with weeds. It even had a one car garage complete piles of rusted junk inside.

Armin had been excited to see the house, eagerly reminding Eren that this would be a wonderful investment; on the upside, it was close to Armin's work, Annabell would have a backyard to roam and they could listen to music as loud as they wanted and make noise without having to worry about disturbing the neighbors. Eren hadn't been so sure about undertaking such a huge responsibility; there were repairs to be made, insurance and utilities, and the expectation of mowing their own grass. Besides, how could they possibly afford the rent on such a place?

It wasn't until Mikasa volunteered to pitch in that the plan seemed feasible; she offered to pay part of the rent in exchange for being able to come stay with them during the summer months. Armin had gleefully accepted the offer, jumping up and down and hugging the girl tightly in appreciation. Eren was hesitant, but how could he possibly say no when his best friend (practically little brother) looked so happy?

And so, the deal was done and rent negotiated; papers were signed and they vacated their apartment, taking all the furniture and items they owned in one single moving van. Unpacking had been a nightmare, but after a couple of weeks of getting situated and repairing the most important problems the boys had settled into their new home, tired but satisfied with the way things had turned out. Armin had even gone so far as to build Annie a doghouse out of old wooden planks (even though she slept inside most of the time). Eren had smiled and ruffled his hair in a brotherly fashion as they finally made themselves at home.

All was going rather well until they received the first bill; it turned out that Mikasa would have to pay a much larger part than they had originally anticipated, and Eren felt absolutely horrible about relying on his stepsister to pay such a hefty sum. Although she had insisted that it was perfectly fine Eren was determined to double his contribution next time. Sure, he could have tried looking for a higher paying job, but those were few and far between and he rather enjoyed talking with his coworkers Jean, Marco, Reiner and Bertholdt. Not to mention that he'd just gotten used to his boss's quirks and mannerisms and wasn't ready to have to switch to a different one.

It was then that Eren formulated a plan to be able to pay for most, if not all of the rent and his own share of utilities; he would strive to get a promotion and a subsequent raise. It had seemed like a good idea at the time; show the boss that he was a dedicated worker by putting in more hours and helping around the office without being told to, the usual stuff one would expect to do to earn a raise.

He'd started out small, brown nosing a bit by volunteering to do any menial task that needed to be done and bringing everyone coffee in the mornings. He always cheerfully greeted everyone and did his work with a smile on his face and a song in his heart. Clients often requested him as their agent due to his cheerful personality and helpful attitude. He'd even gotten a few less than subtle dinner invitations from wealthy single women, but he'd always turned them down. Not only was it unprofessional to date a client, Eren also had no interest in middle aged ladies, which more often than not were the ones doing the inviting.

Everyone seemed to be happy with his new found motivation, except the very person he'd been striving to impress; the office manager, Levi. When Eren would kindly bring him his morning coffee (black, one cream and two packs of sugar substitute) he was lucky to get more than a nod or a "thanks" every now and then. When he'd ask if anything needed doing Levi would give him that impassive stare and tell him to focus on his work instead of trying to do everyone else's.

When he finished all of his work in record time he was rewarded with going home an hour early; no praise, no encouragement, nothing. All attempts at conversation were ultimately thwarted when Levi stopped speaking, signaling that he was tired of talking and that Eren should leave him be. It was frustrating, and after a few weeks of attempting to get in his boss's good graces Eren had just about had enough; it was time to throw in the towel. He would just have to get a second job at this rate, he thought bitterly.

Inspiration came one rainy day when he arrived an hour late for work due to heavy traffic. When he'd burst through the door without his tray of complimentary coffee his coworkers had groaned in disappointment and Eren had wanted to punch them because he'd barely made it to work at all, let alone having to stop for coffee to appease his fickle colleagues. He'd been soaked to the bone due to clumsily letting go of his umbrella during a particularly strong gust of wind and he could already feel a chill coming on. As he trudged through the building and made his way towards his tiny office the only person who acknowledged him was Jean, who appeared at his side with a rather amused look on his face.

"You're supposed to take your clothes off BEFORE you get in the shower, Eren," the slightly taller male joked, laughing and punching Eren in the shoulder in a friendly gesture. The brunette rolled his eyes and rubbed the now sore spot on his shoulder, frowning.

"Haha, very funny," Eren replied, not looking at all amused as he continued the trek to his office. He was dripping onto the carpet of the fourth floor where he worked, and he cursed under his breath because he knew if Levi saw the mud and water he'd tracked in that he'd have to stay an extra hour just to clean up the mess. One of the man's quirks was his obsession with cleanliness, and it wasn't unusual to find the entire office dusted, vacuumed and polished on a regular basis.

Jean's stupid grin faded a bit when he noticed that his coworker seemed rather gloomy. It was one thing to be annoyed at the weather or the traffic, but Eren looked like someone just kicked his puppy or something.

"Hey man, what's the matter? You're usually bright eyed and annoyingly cheerful in the mornings," Jean said, his voice full of genuine concern. As Eren pulled out the keys to unlock his office door he shook his head, a few wet strands of brown hair falling in front of his eyes.

"Nothing. I guess I'm just frustrated, that's all," Eren replied, jiggling the knob of the door and cursing when he realized he'd used the wrong key. Jean laughed a bit and took the keyring from his friend, choosing the right one to unlock the door and flipping on the light so that Eren wouldn't trip over anything.

"You mean like sexually frustrated, or…?" Jean teased, shrinking back a bit at the angry glare he received from the brunette in response. Eren dumped his messenger bag on the ground and plopped into his large, worn out office chair, sighing and pushing the wet hair out of his face.

"No! I'm frustrated because I've been working my ass off trying to impress Levi and finally get that promotion but the man still acts like I'm just a part of the scenery," Eren lamented, looking completely defeated as he slumped over in his chair and rested his head on his hands atop the wooden desk. Jean gave his coworker a sympathetic look as he closed the door behind him and sat in one of the cushioned guest chairs in front of the desk.

"Ah. Don't worry about it too much, man. Levi's just like that, ya know? It takes a lot to make the guy even spare you a passing glance let alone to make him notice what a good job you've been doing," Jean reassured him, leaning back in his chair with his arms folded behind his head and a dirty foot resting on top of Eren's clean and tidy desk. The brunette shot him a searing glare and Jean immediately removed the offending appendage, lest he lose it to Eren's temper. The brunette did not want Levi to stumble upon a messy office should he decide to pay Eren a visit.

"I guess. I'm just tired of having to rely on Mikasa to pay the rent," Eren muttered, his face now buried in his elbow. Jean immediately perked up upon hearing the familiar name.

"Mikasa? You mean that smoking hot stepsister of yours? Is she living with you now? Can I have her number?" Jean was leaning forward towards Eren now, a dreamy look in his eyes as he pictured the raven haired girl he'd had the pleasure of meeting at the last company banquet. The first time Jean had laid eyes on her his breath had been sucked right out of his chest. The whole world seemed to stop spinning when he looked at Mikasa, and he was not about to pass up an opportunity to see her again.

Eren looked absolutely livid at the question.

"What? No! You can't have her number, she'd kill me. Besides, she's still living in the dorms at her college right now, she won't be moving in until summer break, " Eren explained, voice hoarse with exasperation at his coworker's ability to grate on his nerves until he couldn't take it anymore. Jean looked crestfallen upon hearing the news and slumped back into his chair, defeated.

"Ok, ok, fine. Look, if it's bothering you that much that Levi is ignoring you why don't you make him listen by having a little one on one chat? That way he has no choice but to hear what you have to say," Jean suggested, playing with the Rubik's cube that Eren kept on his desk to pass the time on slow days. Eren peeked over his elbow and looked at Jean, the wheels in his head turning at the other male's statement.

"Do you…do you think that he would agree to that? What if he's too busy?" Eren questioned more to himself than to Jean, yet the other male answered regardless.

"Of course! If you just talk to his secretary and say you need to meet with him about some important business matter or some shit I'm sure he'll make time," Jean said with a yawn, eyeing the bowl of hard wrapped candies sitting on the edge of Eren's desk and sneaking his hand in to fish out a green apple flavored sweet. He noisily opened the wrapper and popped the candy into his mouth before immediately diving back in for another. Eren would normally have slapped his hand away and told him that those were only for prospective clients but he was far too deep in thought to really care.

If he played his cards right he could get promoted within the next month and have more than enough to pay rent and maybe even take a vacation somewhere nice with Armin and Mikasa. In the past two years of working Eren hadn't taken a single day off, let alone an entire vacation week mostly due to the fact that he was broke. This could be his one and only chance to turn things around, maybe he could even get his foot in the door for a manager position and finally be able to afford a car of his own. He might end up making a total fool of himself, but it was worth a try.

Eren pushed his chair out from under his desk and stood up, a look of pure determination on his face.

"I'm gonna do it; if I want that promotion I'll just have to take the initiative and make myself heard. Thanks, Jean, if you hadn't motivated me I probably would have just sat around listening to one of my established clients whine and moan about deadlines and how they stifled their creativity." Eren stretched a bit and gave Jean a slap on the back, nearly making him choke on another piece of candy.

After nearly coughing up a lung Jean forced a goofy smile despite his discomfort and gave Eren a thumb's up.

"No problem, Eren. Good luck and try not to look like too much of a dork in front of Levi, eh?" Jean said jokingly as Eren made his way over to the door. As he turned the handle Jean called out from behind him.

"And if being straightforward and professional doesn't work you could always try using sex appeal," he added a suggestive eyebrow waggle at the end of his sentence for further effect.

Eren snorted and waved him off before taking a deep breath and heading out into the hall. The uncomfortable feeling of his black slacks sticking to his legs and his white long sleeved work shirt clinging to bare skin gave him pause. It certainly wouldn't look professional to go into his boss's office looking like he'd gone for a morning swim. Luckily he kept a spare set of clothes in his car due to having gone through a rather embarrassing day covered in coffee stains after spilling the hot brown liquid all over himself while driving Armin to work. Driving back to the house would have taken at least fifteen minutes and he'd already been running late, and so he'd been forced to deal with it for the rest of the work day.

At least he'd smelled good.

_Guess I'll just go change real quick._

* * *

After changing into a set of clean, dry clothes in the nearest bathroom and running a comb through his mess of brown locks, Eren tried his best to mentally prepare himself for the meeting with Levi. He straightened his tie, made sure nothing was stuck in his teeth, and practiced his greeting and friendly handshake, going through the motions in his mind over and over again until he memorized them down to the last minute detail. He even took a whiff of his armpits to make sure he didn't smell ripe.

_I can do this, I just have to march in there and act confident but not conceited. I'll tell him exactly why I deserve this promotion._

Eren took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, and exhaled before exiting the restroom and making his way to the elevator. Levi's office was located on the very top floor due to his high position, seemingly towering over the rest of the employees. Eren was grateful that although the man could appear aloof and uncaring, he never acted cocky or superior to anyone despite his position as office manager. If there was one thing that Eren couldn't stand it was dealing with people who thought they were above everyone else, that their opinions somehow mattered more than others. Unfortunately, dealing with designers meant that he encountered this more often than he'd like to admit.

The elevator dinged and slid open, revealing Jean…well, the backside of Jean anyway, who was leaning against the back side of the elevator. Eren didn't put two and two together until he saw a very flustered, very red Marco pinned beneath him, who promptly shoved Jean off and booked it down the hall before the brunette had a chance to say anything. Jean looked back over his shoulder and glared at Eren, whose jaw was slackened and whose blue green eyes were as big as saucers.

"Tch. I swear this stupid thing stops on every floor regardless of which one you pick," Jean complained, stretching his arms over his head and yawning for the hundredth time that day. Eren, still slightly shocked at what he thought he'd witnessed, finally regained his composure enough to form coherent sentences.

"Were you just…with Marco…I don't even…" he trailed off, cheeks reddening slightly at the thought of his coworkers having a steamy moment in the confined area, "I thought you liked girls…"

Jean let out an amused chuckle, "I do, especially tall Asian cuties with annoying stepbrothers," he mused, giving Eren a playful wink. For as smart as the brunette was and as charming as he acted round clients, he was completely clueless when it came to the real world.

"Then why were you molesting poor Marco?" Eren asked, his tone incredulous. This kind of thing was only supposed to happen in sappy romance novels or soap operas, not in real life. Jean heaved a sigh and patted Eren on the back in an_ I really feel sorry for you _kind of way.

"Eren Eren Eren, don't you know anything? You can like both, you know. Attraction isn't gender specific, not to me at least. Anyway, enough about me, what floor are you heading to?" Jean asked, stepping aside to make room for the brunette in the elevator. Eren stepped inside, leaving a bit of distance between him and Jean. It wasn't that he thought the taller male would molest him or anything, but he was still a bit flustered and uncomfortable after catching Jean and Marco in the act of…something.

"Top floor," Eren replied, avoiding eye contact and leaning over to press the button himself, "you?"

"Six. I gotta make sure the contract with our models is up to date, and that we have enough for this fall's line or else Levi will have my head mounted on his desk." Eren thought back to the previous season's models; Christa, the petite blonde that radiated beauty from every pore; Reiner, who was part time in the very same office as Eren, but whose chiseled muscular body had caught the eye of talent agents; Connie, who wasn't much to look at per se, but had the perfect body type for young men's clothes and a few nameless others.

One they arrived at floor six, Jean took his leave with a mock bow and a friendly slap on the back. Rubbing his now sore shoulder, Eren grumbled a bit and hit the button for the top floor, feeling himself begin to get nervous once more. His heart pounded relentlessly, his palms were sweaty, and his breathing was rapid and shallow.

_Calm down, you can do this._

Upon feeling the familiar jostle of the elevator arriving at its destination, Eren gulped down the lump in his throat and put on a look of determination as the doors slid open with a ding. He stepped out into the small lobby, taking a quick look around and relieved to find that there were currently no clients waiting to see Levi, which meant that he at least had a chance of speaking with the man himself. Behind the reception desk sat Hanji Zoe, Levi's personal secretary, currently passed out and drooling all over what looked like important paperwork.

Eren suppressed a chuckle as he approached the desk. The woman was snoring rather loudly and it was a wonder that Levi himself didn't hear her. Eren wasn't quite sure what the protocol was on waking somebody up, especially when they were supposed to be working, so he settled on speaking loudly.

"Umm Miss Hanji, can I speak to you for a moment?"

No response. Eren sighed and prodded her shoulder gently with his index finger. The only reaction he got was Hanji's hand swatting his finger away while she continued to snooze.

"Miss Hanji…" he spoke rather loudly this time, hoping to get some kind of acknowledgement from the woman. Still nothing. The brunette considered just knocking on Levi's office door himself, but decided against it. Showing up with only a few minutes' notice was one thing, showing up unannounced and making a nuisance of himself was another entirely. He was trying to maintain an air of professionalism, after all.

He shook Hanji by the shoulders, being firm but not too rough in his attempt to wake her. This earned him a girly giggle and a goofy grin.

"Oh you, I told you to be more gentle with me…I'm a fragile little buttercup, after all," she slurred, completely out of it. Eren finally got fed up and let her drop, her head smacking into the desk with a loud thunk. Finally it was enough to wake the redhead and she yawned sleepily, seemingly ignoring the growing red mark where her skull made contact with solid oak. After a minute of rubbing the sleep out of her eyes she finally noticed Eren's presence and shot him a friendly smile.

"Oh! Well hello there, Eren! What are you doing all the way up here?" she asked, practically beaming despite her head injury. Eren rolled his eyes and smiled back, not being able to remain angry with the comedic woman for long.

"Hello Miss Hanji," she giggled at the brunette's politeness, but he ignored it, "umm…I was wondering if it was possible to speak with Office Manager Levi? I have a few things I need to discuss with him," he stated, wringing his hands nervously. Hanji looked thoughtful for a moment before scanning the reception area. Upon seeing that there were no waiting clients she gave Eren a thumb's up and smiled.

"Of course, Eren. Levi doesn't have any appointments scheduled today, so he should be free. Want me to tell him you're here?"

Eren breathed a small sigh of relief.

_Well at least I'll be able to see him today. The sooner the better._

"That would be great, thanks," he replied, giving her a shy smile and moving to have a seat in the lobby. Hanji pressed the button to the intercom connected to Levi's office to buzz in, waiting for a response. After a few seconds a masculine voice answered.

"What is it, Hanji?"

"Hello sir! There's someone here to see you, should I send him in?"

"I'm not scheduled for any appointments today, Hanji. You know that."

"Ah, yes, but he doesn't have an appointment, just a walk in."

A few seconds of silence made Eren's stomach tie into knots. Did that mean that he was annoyed? He should have called first, shouldn't he? Now Levi was probably pissed off and not willing to negotiate. Stupid, stupid, stupid…

"I see. Who is it?"

"Eren Jaeger, sir. He says he needs to speak with you about some important matter," Hanji stated, giving Eren a playful wink. The brunette's cheeks reddened a bit, more from the embarrassment of sounding like he had some kind of emergency than the fact that the bespectacled woman was seemingly flirting with him. He really didn't want Levi to be expecting some kind of urgent matter that couldn't wait only to find out it was an employee begging for a fatter paycheck.

"Send him in," Levi replied, voice sounding mostly neutral to Eren's relief. He shifted restlessly in his seat, not entirely sure that he was ready to go into the lair of the beast quite yet. It didn't seem like he had much a choice, however, when Hanji sauntered over to him and grabbed his arm, pulling him up from the chair and dragging him after her.

"Levi's office is this way, follow me!" she said cheerfully, and Eren was almost certain that this was not proper behavior for a secretary. She wore black slacks and a white button up shirt much like his own, preferring the men's dress code to the women's. Her flats scuffed along the shiny tile floor of the hall as she led him through a long corridor, passing several empty office rooms before finally stopping in front of the largest door at the end.

"This is it! FYI, tuck your shirt in and smooth out your hair cause neatness always impresses His Majesty," Hanji joked, poking Eren in the side in jest. Eren followed her suggestions, making himself look positively prim and proper.

"Um, why did you call him His Majesty?" Eren asked, genuinely curious. He was used to nicknames among coworkers, in fact most people called Jean horse face on a regular basis despite his protests that he most certainly did not have one. It was surprising to hear someone be so bold as to call the head honcho of the entire office building a name, however.

Hanji let out a snort of laughter. "Well, not everyone calls him that, just mostly members of upper management. It's just because he comes off so regal and dignified, ya know? It's like standing before a prince."

Eren swallowed hard. The thought of Levi being like royalty did not do anything to lessen his jitters. "Uh, right," was all he could manage to come up with on the spot. Hanji gave him an amused look before turning around and knocking gently on the door.

"Eren is here now, sir. Should I let him in?"

A few quiet seconds passed followed by the muffled sound of shuffling papers and typing.

"Go ahead," Levi replied, not bothering to get up and open the door himself. Hanji took that as her signal to open the door, gesturing to Eren to enter behind her. The brunette took a deep breath and unclenched his fists, which he hadn't realized had been so tightly squeezed that his knuckles were turning white. After a moment's hesitation he gathered his courage and followed behind her, stepping into the spacious office.

The walls were a pristine white, sparsely decorated with various degrees and awards and the floor was composed of sleek black tiles that looked recently waxed. In the center of the office was a large solid oak desk with a rather large rolling computer chair behind it. The entire room looked completely spotless, not a speck of dust to be seen. Hiding behind a rather expensive looking laptop sat the owner of the office, still typing and completely ignoring the intrusion. Hanji cleared her throat to get Levi's attention.

Not flinching, Levi waved them in.

"Have a seat, Jaeger. Hanji, you're dismissed." Eren quickly complied, seating himself in one of the comfortable guest chairs in front of Levi's desk.

"Alright then, I'll leave you two alone," Hanji chirped, making the entire situation sound inappropriate when it was anything but. Eren narrowed his eyes at her in annoyance as she slipped soundlessly out of the room, closing the door with a quiet click. After her departure Eren felt more vulnerable than ever, like a mouse before a lion. After an awkward moment of silence Levi finally finished typing up his document and closed the laptop, allowing Eren to get a good look at his face. He'd seen it before on multiple occasions, but he never really studied it until now.

Eren's cheeks reddened a bit as the older male's steel grey eyes came to rest on him, looking him over and seemingly appraising him.

Levi was…handsome, to say the least. His lustrous raven hair shone in the bright light pouring in from the large window behind him, making him look much like a model for a shampoo commercial. His eyebrows were neatly trimmed, his porcelain skin was free of marks or blemishes, and from what Eren could see his teeth were pearly white.

_I wonder why he isn't a model. He's almost…perfect._

The thought came unbidden into Eren's mind, and he had to force himself to concentrate on the matter at hand. Levi was one step ahead of him, however.

"Well, what is it you so desperately needed to speak to me about, Jaeger?" he questioned, and for once Eren noticed how smooth and even his voice sounded, not a hint of emotion showing through in his tone. He rested his head on his hands and looked at the brunette expectantly. Eren's eyes widened a bit and fought the urge to look away, feeling like he was on stage before a critic.

"I…um…"he stammered, mind completely going blank as he tried to find the right words to say. He looked around the room for some kind of prompt, something to jog his memory since he was suffering from a case of sudden amnesia. Being on the spot did strange things to people sometimes, and Eren was no exception.

This would have been so much easier if Levi wasn't looking at him like that, eyes peering over the rims of his glasses.

_Wait a minute. Glasses? I've never seen him wear those before._

"I…uh…nice glasses, are they new?" Eren blurted out hastily before his brain could catch up. He knew how stupid it sounded the moment the words left his lips, and he was mentally beating himself up before he could even gauge Levi's reaction.

_Shit I'm an idiot, what the hell was I thinking? How the hell is he going to take me seriously now?_

Levi raised a thin eyebrow at the random compliment. He'd had a few clients try to get in his good graces by flattering him before, but never an employee.

"I got them over the weekend. Sometimes I can't read small print without straining, and when you have to read shitty documents all day it starts to take a toll. Although I fail to see how this is relevant to your visit."

Eren bit his lip. A bit suprised at his superior's choice of words, he was glad that Levi was kind enough to humor him by answering, but that didn't stop his stomach from doing back flips out of nervousness and fidgeting like a kid in the principal's office.

Once again Eren could not for the life of him remember why he was there, not when Levi was staring at him with those eyes that would be forever imprinted onto his mind. He desperately looked around the office, searching for something, anything to jog his memory. That's when he spotted it, a hidden saving grace that could possibly spare him further embarrassment or ruin him forever.

Upon Levi's desk laid a colorful flier complete with pictures of way too happy looking people discussing something over a table of fake food. The large print read: _National Take Your Boss to Lunch Day; Build a great work relationship that will last a lifetime! Free tickets to Sina&Maria's Café available in the bottom floor lobby._

"I just wanted to ask…umm…" Eren fought to maintain his composure as he stumbled over his words; a lunch with Levi could be a great opportunity to actually talk to the man in a more comfortable environment without losing his shit. He swallowed hard before gaining a temporary boost of courage and rising from his chair, placing his hands on either side of Levi's desk and looking him straight in the eye.

"Will you have lunch with me?"

_Oh my God. Holy shit I'm an idiot. I did _not _just say that. He'll never agree to this, it's completely hopeless. _

Levi was a bit taken aback by Eren's boldness, both eyebrows raised in surprise as he appraised the younger male who was currently putting his sweaty hands that had been who knows where on his clean desk.

"I already have lunch arrangements for today, Jaeger," came his reply, and Eren's spirit nearly broke as the older male averted his eyes, intertwining the fingers beneath his chin and studying the flier that the brunette had been eyeing only moments before.

"Oh…well, that's ok…I'll just be going now," Eren said, hurt tinting his voice despite his attempt to hide it. He let his hands fall to his sides as he turned to leave, head hung in defeat.

_Not only did I not get to talk about whatever it was I came up here for, but now he thinks I'm a socially awkward idiot. Way to go, Eren, way to go._

"I'm free tomorrow afternoon," Levi said rather unexpectedly to Eren's retreating back, "we can meet and discuss whatever you really came here for over lunch, company's treat."

The brunette immediately froze to the spot, turning his head around to look back at Levi, ocean colored eyes wide with shock. His heart was beating so hard and fast that he could practically hear the blood thrumming within his veins as he nodded weakly in response.

"O…okay," was all he managed to choke out, voice trembling.

"I'll grab us two tickets and we can meet in front of Sina&Maria's. I expect to see you there at noon sharp, got it, Jaeger?"

Eren nodded once more before turning back around and practically bolting for the door, throwing it open and slamming it closed unintentionally before collapsing into a heap, his back resting against the doorframe.

_Did he just…invite me to lunch? I guess it's a good thing since I seemed to lose the ability to think clearly when I went in there and I'll finally be able to talk about….what was it?_

Eren racked his brain for the answer, dismayed when nothing came to mind save for flashback images of those beautiful grey eyes peering at him over black rimmed glasses.

_Ugh, what is wrong with me? I do not find my boss attractive…that's just creepy. I don't want to be like Jean._

Eren heaved a tired sigh and got to his feet, dusting himself off out of habit although the floors were almost sterilely clean. Had he not been distracted perhaps he would have seen how out of breath Hanji looked as he passed her desk. She'd been eavesdropping and had ran as fast as she could to get back to her desk in time to avoid running into Eren.

When the boy disappeared behind the elevator doors she broke out into a mischievous grin.

_Things are starting to get interesting around here._

* * *

Please review if you get the chance!


	2. Invitations

OMG I'm so sorry for not updating this in so long. I've been so busy with surgery rotations at school that I've hardly had time to write. I promise that this story will get more interesting soon. This was mainly a build up chapter for events to come. I really hope you guys still enjoy it. Thanks for reading!

* * *

That evening, after all the paperwork that required immediate attention had been signed and sent off, Eren clocked out with a solemn expression on his face. After the botched meeting with Levi Eren had been so utterly ashamed and traumatized that he'd locked himself away in his office, brooding for the rest of the work day. It wasn't so much his complete lack of social graces that bothered him, but rather his inability to remember something so important, so critical that could possibly have an impact on his future as well as Armin's. How could he have forgotten to ask about his promotion when it was so very vital?

Perhaps the bigger question was, why had he completely lost his shit by simply looking at his boss, whom he'd seen countless times before? It confounded him, it frustrated him, and by the time he walked out to his beat up two door car in the company parking garage he was ready to tear his hair out. He fished around in the pockets of his black slacks for his keys, fumbling with the bulky ring until he found the key fob, pressing unlock several times before the damn thing actually unlocked. He threw his messenger bag and dirty clothes into the passenger's seat and flopped down in front of the steering wheel before slamming the car door shut with a bang.

As he inserted the key into the ignition Eren's thoughts drifted back to Levi's unexpected lunch invitation. It wasn't unusual for co-workers to eat together in Wall Rose, especially those who worked on the same floor, but Eren had never been invited to dine with someone higher up the company ladder than him. What was considered an appropriate conversation topic? Usually when it was just Eren, Jean and a few other guys they would crack jokes about anything and everything, including toilet humor. Jean would ogle passing women and get upset when they flocked to Reiner instead, and Eren would laugh at his expense. As for food, the group would normally end up eating at the local diner with its run down looking walls and ripped seats; the décor left something to be desired but the food (Eren's favorite was the classic double cheeseburger with chili cheese fries) was excellent and Eren was a frequent customer.

The normal, comfortable atmosphere between them was what made Eren look forward to work every day instead of dreading it.

Eating with Levi, however, was sure to be awkward if their little meeting was any indication of things to come. No matter how tense and hopeless things might get, Eren knew that he just couldn't back out now, not when he finally had the chance to ask for his well-deserved raise. He would just have to dress and act as professional as possible and hope that it was enough. Perhaps the fact that Levi had even bothered to acknowledge him in the first place was a good start. After all, Levi wasn't known to be the most sociable of people, and the number of employees he shared more than three words with on a daily basis were extremely limited. Surely receiving a lunch invitation was a sign that he at least tolerated Eren's presence.

Eren turned the key and fired up the engine of his vehicle and put it in reverse, carefully looking behind him so as not to damage any of the other employee's (rather expensive-looking) cars. It was five thirty in the evening and Armin would be finishing up whatever task he was assigned at the library by the time Eren arrived. As he was about to pull out of the parking garage he spotted a familiar looking figure in his rear view mirror; it was Levi, and he was currently engaged in conversation with a tall, muscular blonde male that Eren had never seen before.

Curiosity piqued, Eren watched the exchange with interest, glad that there were no cars behind him waiting to exit. The blonde man was smiling and would let out a good natured chuckle every now and then while Levi looked the same as ever; token impassive stare with arms crossed and hip cocked slightly. He looked rather bored, however the blonde man seemed completely oblivious to the fact and continued to talk, and Eren wondered why Levi didn't just make up some excuse about having to be somewhere so that he'd shut up.

_He's probably one of the corporate big wigs or something. Oh well, it's none of my business…_

Despite his thoughts Eren couldn't tear his eyes away from the two. The large blonde clapped a hand on Levi's shoulder in jest, and Eren flinched, expecting Levi to retaliate with an insult or at least brush the hand away. Instead he simply regarded the hand with a neutral expression and looked away wistfully, staring at nothing in particular but looking like he'd rather be anywhere else at the moment. Eren felt a little sympathetic for his boss, because he himself had worn that same expression many times when dealing with difficult clients.

_Something about that blonde guy doesn't sit right with me. The boss obviously doesn't find him very amusing either._

This wasn't simply a case of boredom or wanting to find some solitude, however. Eren wasn't sure how he knew exactly, but from a distance he caught a glimpse of something in those steel grey eyes; the look of a caged animal yearning to return to where it truly belonged. That couldn't be right though, could it? Levi was the highest paid person in the entire office, and he only answered to the select few who were above him. He drove a nice car, worked a cushy nine to five job with benefits, and was probably set for life. It baffled Eren to think that someone could feel trapped and unhappy with such a set up.

_I've heard it time and again, that money doesn't always equal happiness. I can't help but wonder why he always looks so miserable. _

By the time Eren had turned his attention back to the two men the blonde had said his farewells and headed in another direction while Levi climbed into his own vehicle, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he had been watched the entire time. Snapping back to reality, Eren quickly looked at the clock in his car and cursed under his breath when he realized that he'd wasted ten whole minutes being a creeper instead of getting on the road before traffic picked up. Grumbling aloud he stole one last glance behind him, feeling oddly relieved when he saw the blonde male nowhere in sight as Levi reversed out of his parking space.

* * *

Fortunately the library that Armin worked at, Stohess Archives, was just a few blocks away from Eren's building and he managed to avoid the majority of traffic. It was so close in fact that on the rare occasion when Armin could tear himself away from the numerous stacks of dusty tomes the two of them would meet for lunch somewhere. Although their talks would often consist of how their day was going, or what they planned on eating for dinner that evening, Eren cherished every minute spent with his practically adopted little brother.

Eren pulled up beside the library entrance to wait for Armin and marveled at the intricate architecture that composed the building. It was three stories tall, each floor filled to the brim with books and a few computers for students. There were numerous giant columns surrounding the front door, as was typical with a library, complete with little stone lions lining the walkway. It stood out drastically from the modern looking buildings surrounding it, seemingly trapped in the past; that was what made Armin fall in love at first sight. In the vast area of the inner city metro it was the one place besides their own home that the blonde could feel at peace.

After putting his car in park Eren pulled his Peach TPhone 5 out of his pocket and typed up a quick text to Armin, telling him that he was waiting outside. It was customary for him to make some kind of wisecrack about being a soccer mom waiting to pick up her beloved precious snowflake from practice every time he picked him up.

Eren: Hey, I'm outside, sweetie! I brought you a juice box and a coloring book for the ride home.

After a minute or two Eren received an annoyed reply.

Armin: -_- I'm not a kid, Eren.

Eren smiled and continued to tease the blonde relentlessly.

Eren: Don't sass me, boy, or you're grounded.

Armin: Psh as if I go out anyway haha.

Eren: Lol, anyway, I'm outside whenever you're ready.

Armin: K, one sec, just finishing shelving this last stack of encyclopedias.

Eren: Wtf? Nobody uses those anymore. That's what Wikipedia is for.

Armin: You just have no appreciation for books, do you?

Eren: Sure I do, I read all the time.

Armin: Manga doesn't count, Eren. Anyway, I'll be down in a few.

Eren decided to leave the conversation at that, not wanting Armin to get scolded by the centuries old head librarian for texting while on the job. As he sat patiently in his car with the windows rolled down he took the opportunity to switch on the radio, flipping through the different stations, frowning when every single one of them decided to take a commercial break at the same time. One announcement in particular caught his interest.

"Are you ready for hottest fashion show of the season? Then get ready for the fun, sexy extravaganza held by Wall Rose Enterprises next month at Trost Stadium! We'll be giving away free tickets to go see the latest fall line up from the critically acclaimed company…"

Eren lost interest in the advertisement after the initial announcement; however he was surprised that the general public was interested in what Wall Rose had to offer, considering they normally marketed to the upper middle class and rich people. It gave him a new perspective on things; namely, that if even the average everyday citizen was interested in their clothing lines then perhaps they could focus more time and energy in making their product more accessible for the general public. Of course, he had no incentive to do such a thing; it was his job to scout talent for the company, not to con people who most likely couldn't afford their clothes into buying them.

A cool breeze filtered in through his open window, and Eren shuddered a bit; he'd rolled up his sleeves at the office, forgetting that it was nearly October and fall was finally beginning to set in. The earlier rain had lowered the temperature significantly, and a few small puddles lined the sidewalk leading to the library. The leaves of the surrounding trees had already begun to change color from vivid green to a more subdued orange, and typical autumn decorations had made their way into stores and along the streets. Pumpkin spice flavored everything invaded the grocery isles, and Halloween costumes were already going on sale in department stores. The year had passed far too quickly for the brunette's liking; he was more of a summer person, enjoying the warmer weather and taking every opportunity to drag Armin to the beach.

_At least that ridiculous swimsuit lineup is over with. I never want to see another bikini as long as I live. _

Oddly enough, as soon as the word "bikini" popped into his mind, Eren's phone began to ring and vibrate. Thinking it was Armin and not bothering to check the caller ID, Eren unlocked the slider on his phone and answered. Unfortunately, it was not who he had expected.

Eren: Hey, are you coming or not? I'm starving and Annie needs to be let out.

Jean: Oh, I'm coming alright, and I've got something you can eat, if you know what I mean.

Eren's eyes widened slightly at the unexpected voice that greeted him on the other end, but his surprise was quickly replaced with annoyance at Jean's off color joke. The brunette ran a hand through his hair and sighed, deciding to humor his friend.

Eren: What do you want, Jean?

Jean: Lighten up, man, I'm just messing with you. Anyway, even though I love calling you just to chat, this time I actually have a reason; did you know that Saturday is Marco's birthday?

Eren scrunched his face in concentration, trying to recall if he had actually been told that information.

Eren: Yeah, he mentioned it in passing once. Why?

Jean let out a dissatisfied noise, somewhere between a whine and a groan. Eren had to hold the phone away from his ear a bit until the other male finally calmed down enough to talk normally.

Jean: Are you kidding me? Why would be tell you when his birthday is but not me? Jean! His best friend and future husband! I just now found out from Reiner!

Eren decided to ignore the "future husband" comment, having told Jean time and again that Marco didn't think of him that way. It was pointless to argue with an idiot.

Eren: Maybe because he knew you'd harass him about it?

Jean: I don't harass people, Eren, that's just mean. Anyway, he's turning 25, and I have an excellent idea of how to celebrate. Wanna hear it?

Eren heaved a sigh.

Eren: No, but I have a feeling that you're going to tell me anyway.

Undaunted by Eren's apparent disinterest, Jean continued on, voice ripe with enthusiasm.

Jean: Me, Reiner, Bert, Connie and Hanji are going to book Marco a private session at Club Voodoo in the VIP suite. It's going to be fucking amazing, dude! Drinks, strippers, awesome music; they even have a hookah lounge! I can't believe I've never even been to this place before. The ladies are going to love Marco, that adorable freckled bastard.

Eren pondered the statement for a moment, racking his brain and trying to remember exactly why he decided not to hang up earlier. Marco was an introvert, the poor freckled kid that everyone loved to tease; the brunette just couldn't picture him with a buxom woman gyrating on his lap without laughing.

Eren: I'm sure he'll find it…interesting. What exactly does that have to do with me?

Jean: Well, since everyone else is going to be there, I figured you might like to come too. And, you know, if you want to bring your stepsister along, that would be ok too…

Eren rolled his eyes, wishing that he was talking in person with Jean just so the taller male could see it.

Eren: I already told you that Mikasa isn't coming back until spring at the earliest. Besides, she'd never step foot in a place like that.

Jean: Heh, you're probably right. She's way too classy to be seen at a titty bar. Not me though, I live for tits and ass, especially when they're shaking in my face. What about you? If you come along I'll buy you a drink and everything.

Eren: I don't know…that's not really my thing.

Jean: You don't like titties? What the hell's wrong with you, man?

Eren: ...I'm hanging up now.

Jean: Sorry, sorry! Just kidding. Will you at least think about it? I bet it would mean a lot to Marco if you showed up.

Eren heaved an exasperated sigh. He wasn't entirely opposed to the idea, and he could use a break to relieve some stress…

Eren: Fine, I'll go, but you're buying me drinks.

Jean: It'd be my pleasure! So Saturday around 8 p.m., we'll all meet at Club Voodoo; it's down in the lower part of Shingashina, I'll text you the directions when I find out exactly where it is. I'll also take care of getting Marco there, so all you have to do is show up. Oh, and don't mention anything about this at work, it's supposed to be a surprise, so keep it on the down-low!

Eren pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. He'd barely been talking to Jean for five minutes, and already he was about to pull his hair out.

Eren: Right.

Jean: Thanks a million, dude!

Eren: Uh-huh.

Jean: Smell ya later, Eren!

Eren: …..

The brunette hung up on his overzealous friend, thankful that the conversation was finally over. Why the hell did he let Jean talk him into things like this? He liked to believe that he was a little more sophisticated than the average bar hopping, beer chugging guys his age. Going to a strip club and drinking was not how he pictured spending his weekend. He could have politely declined, even though his coworker was notorious for being persistent…

Eren jumped when he heard a light tapping at the window, his heart rate skyrocketing. He'd nearly forgotten about Armin, who was patiently waiting outside the passenger door, arms full of advanced looking reading material. The brunette quickly hit the unlock button and leaned over to open the door for the blonde, who was struggling to maintain his balance while carrying the heavy tomes.

"Sorry, Armin. Didn't see you there," Eren apologized, grabbing a few of the books off of the top of Armin's pile and placing them in the middle seat between them. The blonde climbed inside and situated himself, struggling to close the door with the remaining books in his lap. He smiled over the towering pile, closing the door as best he could and somehow managing to buckle himself in at the same time. Eren started up the car again, hoping to beat the rush hour traffic as he backed out slowly.

"It's ok, Eren. Thanks for picking me up," Armin said shyly, perusing one of the many books in his stack. He really hated having to rely on the brunette for transportation. He swore he'd get his driver's license asap. Eren couldn't help but wonder how in the world the petite blonde managed to carry so much weight without straining.

"That's…quite a few books you've got there. Adding to the collection?" Eren teased. Armin let out a nervous chuckle at the comment, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Ah…yeah. I know I don't need any more books, but they were going to be thrown out because of their condition and I just couldn't stand seeing them destroyed, so…"

Eren chuckled lightly and reached over to ruffle Armin's hair affectionately. He really was like a cute younger brother. The blonde frowned, smoothing down his hair and doing his best to fix it back the way it was.

"It's fine, you know I don't care. We might need to build you another bookshelf soon, though."

Armin nodded, shutting the tattered cover of the book he'd been browsing. The aged yellow pages looked like they were about to fall out, and they smelled like an old lady's basement, but Armin found each and every one of them special and worthy of attention. Feeling that a change of subject was in order, the blonde decided that it was his turn to pry.

"So, how was work?" he inquired innocently enough, unaware of the unpleasant emotions the word would stir within Eren. The brunette forced a smile, pretending to concentrate on the road and the particularly slow car in front of them.

"Ah, it was….fine," Eren mumbled, hoping against hope that the blonde wouldn't inquire any further. He was completely ashamed of himself for failing so miserably in his meeting with Levi, for blowing what may have been his only chance to earn a raise. He was an idiot; a well intentioned idiot, but an idiot nonetheless.

The way he gripped the steering wheel a little tighter as the thoughts flooded his mind was a dead giveaway that something was amiss.

Armin, ever observant, quirked a brow at the evasive answer; normally Eren wouldn't hesitate to share the highs and lows of his day with him on the ride home. Obviously something out of the ordinary had transpired.

"What happened?" the blonde asked, not bothering to be subtle or beat around the bush. He and Eren were close, and if something was bothering the brunette, he needed to know so that he could do his best to remedy the situation. Eren sighed audibly, cursing the line of cars seemingly standing still ahead of him; if he was trapped in a vehicle there was no avoiding the conversation. The next best course of action would be to play it off as nothing major.

"Nothing, really…I just had a meeting with my boss is all," Eren tried his best to sound neutral about the subject, although the way the corners of his mouth were curved into a slight frown spoke volumes. He really hated how people always seemed to read him like an open book; no matter how hard he tried to hide his emotions it seemed like someone, somewhere would pick up on the fact that he was in a less than joyful mood.

Armin was especially good at reading people; he could tell when someone was having a bad day, or when people were lying. It was all about facial expressions and body language. Currently Eren was frowning and squirming in his seat while fumbling with his seat belt; all obvious signs that he was uncomfortable and irritated.

"I'm guessing it didn't go well?" Armin asked, carefully pushing the boundary between being curious and being nosy. Well, he figured he could at least leave the reason for the meeting a mystery to spare Eren some privacy.

The way the brunette exhaled through his nose heavily answered his question without him even saying a word.

"I guess there's no point in trying to hide it. No, it didn't go well, in fact it was a complete disaster. I totally blew it, and I have no idea why, but now I'm stuck having lunch with him at Maria & Sina's tomorrow afternoon. Go figure," Eren said with a sigh. It was a good thing that they were only about five minutes away from home, or he might have gotten a little snippy with Armin for prying when the blonde had every right to, especially when Eren might have screwed up something as big as a pay raise.

Armin looked perplexed, tilting his head slightly like a dog that was focused on a strange noise.

"Wait, so you supposedly screwed up big time in your meeting but got invited to lunch? That makes zero sense," Armin recounted the story over and over again in his mind, trying to make heads or tails of it. If things got awkward between people didn't they usually make excuses as to why they had to leave and never speak again?

Eren nodded, resting his elbow on the windowsill as he often did when he was driving down the quiet, less traveled road that led to their neighborhood. It was a beautifully scenic drive, especially at this time of day, when the sun was setting low in the sky, bathing the entire countryside in a lovely orange glow. The trees here were mostly all Maple, and their leaves had turned a most wonderful shade of red from the crisp autumn weather. Eren loved this time of year, and had he not been in emotional turmoil within he would have felt relaxed as he gazed out of his lightly tinted windshield.

"Maybe you didn't mess up as bad as you thought you did," Armin surmised, staring intently at a page in one of his books but not really reading it.

"Maybe. Or maybe I looked so pathetic that he chose to take pity on me, who knows," Eren mused, a slight hint of a smile playing across his lips. Soon their two story house was in sight, and the brunette let out a sigh of relief. Finally he could have some alone time to sulk in his room on the upper floor. He pulled into the newly paved driveway and put the car in park before unbuckling and helping Armin gather his things. He took half of the giant stack of books, slowly making his way up the path to the front door before balancing the precariously placed books and unlocking the door.

As soon as he turned the knob and pushed the door with his foot a yellow blur whipped past him, nearly tripping him in an effort to make its way to Armin. The blonde barely had time to react before Annie was on him, jumping up and standing on two legs to generously lick his face, whining happily all the while.

Doing his best not to drop his books, Armin couldn't help but laugh at the retriever's enthusiasm.

"I missed you too, girl! Come on, let's go inside and I'll get you a treat!" Armin exclaimed, and Annie perked up at the mention of food, dancing around his feet a few times before following Eren inside the house and making her way to the kitchen pantry where the treats were kept. Eren smiled and shut the door behind Armin before dropping his share of books on the hallway table and stretching. Armin had already unloaded his burden and followed Annie into the kitchen, eager to interact with his beloved dog.

"Don't feed her too much, Armin. She's already put on a few pounds since we moved in here," Eren called out after him. In no time he'd kicked off his work shoes and loosened his tie, thankful that his less than stellar day was finally nearing its end. Deciding to skip his usual after work snack, Eren trudged up the stairs to the second floor, focused on getting to his room and collapsing on his bed as soon as possible. Not wasting a second he threw open the door to his room and flipped on the light switch, bathing the room in artificial light.

Inside was a myriad of memorabilia from various anime and video games; posters covered practically every square inch of the walls and a huge shelf full of figurines took up the entire right side of the room. A mixture of clean and dirty laundry was strewn about the floor and draped over the office chair behind his computer desk. Various video game consoles and handhelds were scattered across the area, and a sea of tangled cables lie in front of the entertainment center where his TV was located. The hand me down full sized bed he'd received from his parents as a moving in present was currently unmade and covered in a multitude of pillows of all shapes and sizes. In contrast to his neat and tidy workspace at the office, this was what Eren liked to call organized chaos.

The brunette pulled off his tie and discarded it, not particularly caring where it landed at the moment. His belt soon followed, allowing his black slacks to fall loose around his narrow hips, the waistband of his plaid boxers peeking over the edge. He tugged off his shirt, not bothering to unbutton it before tossing it over the office chair to rest with countless other articles of clothing. Underneath he wore a simple white tank top to help insulate him during the cooler months. As he'd been planning on doing since stepping foot out of the office, Eren plopped down face first onto his bed, inhaling the familiar scent of his shampoo on his pillow.

All of the thoughts that had been swirling around in his head that day began to fizzle out as he felt himself begin to drift off, eyes growing heavy with exhaustion. He knew that it was far too early to go to bed and stay asleep until the next morning, but he just couldn't bring himself to care as his fatigued body was cradled by the comfort of his downy comforter and soft mattress.

Fortunately for him he fell into a peaceful, dreamless sleep, free from the worry of everyday life.

* * *

He must have been down for the count, because he hadn't even heard his phone alert him that he'd received a text message from Armin asking if he wanted him to make him a sandwich for dinner. Eren glanced over to his alarm clock with bleary green eyes, groaning when he saw that it was 3 a.m. He had to be awake in three hours, and when he woke up during the night it was nigh on impossible for him to fall asleep again.

Pushing himself up out of bed, Eren had nearly forgotten that he hadn't eaten since lunch until his stomach gurgled loudly, reminding him just how hungry he really was. He forced himself to stand and stretch, working out the tiredness from his system before making his way out the door and back downstairs in search of food. He was careful not to be too loud so that he wouldn't wake up Armin, especially since it was his day off. He tip toed into the kitchen, flicking on the light switch and heading over to the fridge to rummage through the various cans of soda and pudding cups to find something decent for a late dinner.

He was pleasantly surprised to find a rather tasty looking ham and cheese sandwich already made for him sitting on the top shelf with a note attached. He grabbed the sandwich, removing it from its plastic baggy and taking an unhealthy sized bite while he read the note.

_I went ahead and made this for you, even though you passed out already. Be sure and eat something as soon as you wake up, you're getting too thin and Mikasa will kill me if you don't start eating better. I made sure to put mustard and pickles on it, just like you like it. Enjoy._

_-Armin_

_PS I'm eating the last chocolate pudding cup. You snooze you lose._

Eren smiled around a mouthful of bread as he devoured the last bit of his sandwich, still standing in front of a wide open fridge. He hadn't even noticed Annie slink into the room until he heard her slurping up the crumbs at his feet. He gave her a gentle pat on the head and grabbed a soda before shutting the fridge door. He cracked it open and plopped into a dining room chair, taking a sip of the dark brown bubbling liquid and wishing that he would suddenly be afflicted with some kind of virus so that he would have a legitimate excuse to not to go to work that day.

It wasn't that he didn't like Levi or anything; he barely knew the guy, aside from their limited interactions at the work place. It was simply the fact that despite how well they may get along, Levi's attitude could take a complete 360 once Eren asked for a promotion and subsequent raise. He didn't want to be bothersome or anything, he just needed validation that he was indeed a hard worker and deserved to move up the corporate ladder. He supposed that he should be thankful for a second chance to sell himself, but the intimidation of not looking like a complete idiot in front of his boss was taking its toll.

It was times like these that he really wished they kept liquor in the house.

Later that morning, after downing an entire pot of coffee and surprising Armin with his signature blueberry pancakes, Eren pulled into the parking garage of his office, struggling to keep the car steady with his jittery hands. Once he'd found a parking spot he pulled in and parked, unbuckling his seatbelt and throwing his messenger bag over his shoulder. He was a few minutes early since he didn't have to drop Armin off that morning, and so he sat back and turned the radio on, leaning back in his seat with the window rolled down and his eyes closed. The music playing was some kind of upbeat pop song, but Eren didn't mind; he could use a pick me up before starting his day. As he began to relax and concentrate on the lyrics he was interrupted by the slam of a car door a few spaces down from him.

Opening one eye to see who else had decided to show up early, he instantly regretted his decision to pry when he saw Levi emerge from his sleek black two door vehicle, jacket slung over his shoulder. Eren felt his stomach do a few backflips as he watched Levi lock his door and pull out a small square package from his pants pocket. The brunette's jaw nearly hit the ground when his boss opened the box and withdrew a long, slender cigarette, popping it into his mouth and fishing around in his other pocket for a lighter.

_He smokes? But I didn't smell cigarettes on him when I went into his office. I guess he hides it really well._

Eren vaguely remembered the no smoking sign hung above the entrance to the parking garage and couldn't help but think how unprofessional his mentor was being at the moment. It wasn't that Eren was totally against smoking, to each his own and all that, but he'd expected Levi to be on the straight and narrow, enforcing company policies and punishing those who chose to break them. It just proved that he knew next to nothing about the man behind the stoic exterior.

Levi lit the cigarette and inhaled, holding it for a moment before blowing the smoke out of his nose and straightening his tie. It was simple and black, like the rest of his suit, his car, and most of his office furniture. Either Levi was opposed to exploring new colors or he just didn't care. After he reached the end of his cigarette Levi tossed the butt on the ground and put it out with the heel of his rather expensive looking shoe. Eren hadn't noticed until Levi walked past his car that the man looked like death warmed over; dark circles under his eyes, tousled raven hair and an abnormally pale face were telltale signs that the man was less than well rested and alert that morning. Eren was relieved that Levi either hadn't noticed the brunette watching him or didn't care as he exited the garage.

_Must have had a rough night. I hope that doesn't mean he won't feel like talking at lunch…_

He turned off his vehicle and pocketed the keys, exiting the car and making sure it was locked before heading towards the exit himself. He made his way down the long flight of stairs to the bottom floor, pushing open the door and stepping out into the sunlight. The brightness made him squint, eyes unaccustomed to daylight since he'd left the house before the sun came up. He shielded his eyes with his hand and made his way to the office building, stepping through the sliding glass doors and greeting the receptionist, a bubbly blonde who Eren always forgot the name of.

He pressed the button to summon the elevator, crossing his fingers that Jean wasn't up to anything inside when the doors slid open. Luckily it was entirely empty and he stepped inside, pressing the button for his floor and slumping against the railing, wishing that the elevator would stall long enough for him to take a much needed nap. It was not to be, however, and the doors slid open exactly as they were supposed to when the elevator arrived at the selected floor. Noticing that his shoe was untied (it liked to untie itself randomly throughout the day), Eren bent down to relace it when something shiny gleaming on the floor of the elevator caught his eye.

It was a ring, a simple golden wedding band that many men wore once they were betrothed instead of one studded with diamonds. Eren picked up the piece of jewelry and inspected it, noting that whoever it belonged to certainly had smaller fingers than him. It must have slipped off of someone's hand, or fallen out of their pocket, and being the good Samaritan that he was, Eren pocketed the ring and decided to try and find the owner by asking around the office.

The first person he'd encountered, as usual, was Jean, and although he was almost certain that the ring did not belong to the taller male, Eren decided to ask him about it anyway. Of course Jean had played along and pretended that it was his, only to end up sorely disappointed when the ring wouldn't fit any of his fingers. Shortly after, Eren approached Reiner and Bertholdt at the water cooler to ask if it belonged to either one of them, only to be told that they had never seen anyone in the office wearing such a ring as long as they had worked there.

The brunette sighed and gave up, walking back into his office and closing the door, thankful that he had no clients scheduled until after lunch, which freed up his morning enough so that he could finally get some paperwork done. He flopped down in his chair and reached for the stack of papers he'd failed to finish signing the previous day, only to find that his inbox was completely empty. Puzzled, he glanced over to his outbox and was shocked to see that every single paper he'd left unfinished was now signed and stacked neatly into a pile, ready to be sent out. He was so stunned that he'd almost overlooked the yellow sticky note attached to the top sheet, covered in messy handwriting.

_Hey man! You seem so stressed lately that I decided to help you out by doing your paperwork for you. No need to thank me, just remember to keep Marco's party a secret and make sure you get him something good for his birthday._

_-Jean_

_PS I ate the last green apple candy. Hope you like lemon._

Eren glanced over to his candy dish to see that it was indeed empty of all flavors of the hard candy except for the dreaded lemon. He couldn't bring himself to be too upset considering Jean had saved him a cramped wrist and a massive headache from staring at papers all day. Not entirely sure what to do with himself now that the majority of his work had been completed for him, Eren pressed the power button on his computer and leaned back in his chair as he waited for it to boot up.

When his wallpaper of a giant mech finally loaded, Eren double clicked on his web browser out of habit. Normally when he had down time at work he'd browse the internet, careful to stay away from any seedy websites and opting to check his blog instead. Today, however, he decided to use the extra downtime he had to do some research. Namely, looking up exactly what the Club Voodoo was and why Jean had chosen it as Marco's party venue.

A search revealed that it was indeed a gentleman's club located in Shingashina, and when Eren clicked the link to their homepage he wasn't surprised to find a picture of a buxom woman and a box asking him if he was over the age of 18. Eren clicked yes and was taken to the homepage, which consisted of a playful font that introduced him to the Club.

_Looking for a place with amazing atmosphere to unwind after a hard day at work? Club Voodoo promises to fulfill your every wish and more with our gorgeous entertainers, fairly priced drinks and pulsating beats. We have a little something for everyone here, including a selection of sultry male dancers, an S&M themed VIP suite and our top of the line hookah lounge. We promise you'll fall under our spell the minute you enter our doors. _

_Ask about our party options. Reservations required. Cover charge applies to all customers. Must be 21 or older to partake of our top shelf alcoholic beverages. ID required upon entry._

Eren had to admit, whoever had designed this website knew how to sell it. The layout reflected the name of the club, mainly consisting of black and red and pictures of beautiful people of both genders. The brunette supposed a club willing to shell out the money to have such a nice website was sure to be at least halfway decent. Seeing that he still had an hour left before lunch, Eren decided to explore further, delving deeper into the options that Club Voodoo had to offer. He perused the hookah lounge page, marveling at the sheer amount of flavors of shush ah that were listed as available. He was pleasantly surprised to find green apple on the list. He then dared to click on the featured dancers page, browsing the pictures of the various entertainers employed there.

Eren was impressed at the variety of female dancers available; there were blondes, brunettes, redheads, Asians, dark skinned women, well endowed ones and those with A-cups. What struck him the most, however, was the fact that all of them wore different styles of masquerade masks which hid their faces enough so that they could not be identified by looks alone. All of them had nicknames as well, further protecting their privacy. Eren supposed it was a good thing, and he had to admit he liked the mystery aspect of it. Clicking over to the men's page, he found much the same thing; men of different hair colors, shapes and sizes, all wearing a mask and posing in suggestive ways. For some reason, one male dancer in particular caught his eye; it was a shorter male with raven hair, wearing a black and red mask and posing half nude on a bed of purple silk, ass in the air and arms stretched out in front of him, almost cat like. Eren couldn't help but feel that the male looked familiar somehow.

_He kind of looks like…that's impossible, obviously, but the resemblance is uncanny. Maybe it's his brother or something._

Eren felt heat rush to his cheeks when he pictured Levi behind the mask, staring at him with bedroom eyes…

The brunette shook his head, trying to dislodge the thought and closing out the window after erasing his history, intent on leaving no evidence behind. Glancing down at the clock on his taskbar, Eren cursed under his breath when he realized that he'd spent almost an hour ogling anonymous strippers on the internet. It was ten minutes until twelve, and he needed to leave now if he wanted to get to the café on time. Pulling out a pocket sized mirror from his desk drawer, Eren smoothed down a few stray locks of brown hair and straightened his tie. He tugged on his sleeves that were rolled up to his elbows and pulled them down to their intended length, wanting to look as professional as possible.

With one last glance in mirror, Eren closed his desk drawer and grabbed his messenger bag before heading out of his office door. As he turned the key to lock it he felt a harsh slap on the back that left his flesh stinging. He whipped around to glare at Jean, who had a goofy grin on his face despite his friend's annoyance.

"Just wanted to wish you good luck, man. Don't let Levi intimidate you too much, he's human just like the rest of us. Just be yourself and you'll be fine," Jean reassured him, flashing him a dapper smile before heading off to the elevator to meet with the others for lunch. Eren envied him, and he considered bailing on Levi, but decided against it; he rather liked job, and he kind of needed it. And so, with a deep breath and a mind full of doubts, Eren stepped into the elevator behind Jean and pressed the button to the bottom floor, mentally preparing himself for what was to come.

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Sorry to cut it off in such a weird spot, but I really wanted to get the next chapter of this story out before people thought I abandoned it. I assure you, I'll finish my stories, no matter how long it takes. Please review when you get a chance!


	3. Elation

Hey guys! I'm so excited to finally get this story rolling, and the next chapter will include plenty of sexy times (mostly due to stripper Levi). I had fun writing this chapter, although it does get a bit dark in places, I tried to keep it mostly upbeat and humorous. Thanks to those of you who took the time to read the previous chapters, I hope you enjoy!

Please review when you get the chance, I love to read them!

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Eren was thankful that the café was within walking distance of the office building; because by the time he arrived in front his destination, out of breath and with aching feet (his work shoes were not meant to be athletic by any means) it was 12:00 on the dot and Levi was waiting patiently for him out front. He looked nearly identical to how he had that morning, sleeves rolled up on his white shirt, black tie straight and business jacket slung over his shoulder. The bags under his eyes seemed to have dissipated a bit, although judging by his posture and the yawns he kept suppressing he still looked rather exhausted. This time, however, there was no cigarette in sight.

The front of the restaurant was decorated much like the stereotypical French cafes one would see on television or in movies, complete with outdoor seating with adorable pink umbrellas poking out from the middle of the table to shield its inhabitants from the harsh rays of the sun. Pink and white striped awnings hung around the edge of the building, and an erasable menu board was propped out front advertising the day's specials. Eren didn't have the slightest clue what a _coq au vin _was, but it was half price until 6 p.m. A few rose bushes of varying colors and shades were planted around the entrance, giving the place a romantic feel.

The name Maria & Sina's was in bold, pink cursive letters above the door, and Eren couldn't help but feel a little out of place at such a…cute little café.

Eren huffed and bent over, attempting to catch his breath, ashamed that he looked like he'd been rushing to be on time (he had, but he didn't really want Levi to know that). Luckily, his boss didn't seem to mind too much, face impassive as usual as he approached, breathing finally returning to normal. When he felt like he could speak without panting he decided to break the ice between them.

"Good afternoon sir, how are you today?"

It sounded incredibly formal and cheesy, but polite nonetheless. Levi regarded him with an indifferent stare, shifting his weight on his feet and cocking his hip a bit.

"Hungry. Let's go inside and order before the lunch rush beats us to it," Levi's reply was rather cut and dry as he turned away from Eren and opened the door to the café, gesturing for the brunette to follow. Eren let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding and followed the older male inside, catching a whiff of delicious smelling food on the way in. Upon entering the brunette could see that the exterior paled in comparison in cuteness to the inside; tiny two person tables were scattered about the large dining room, each with an unlit oil lamp and a vase of red and pink roses in the middle atop a pink and white tablecloth. The floor was composed of rosy pink tiles and the walls were decorated with white and pink striped wallpaper. The place was bustling, nearly every table already full with couples and groups of friends chatting over tea and adorable little pastries. Eren couldn't help but notice that nearly all of them were neatly dressed in business attire.

Directly in front of the door was the hostess' station, behind which a formally dressed woman stood, smiling brightly as they approached.

"Good afternoon sirs, welcome to Maria and Sina's, will it be just the two of you today?" She asked, perhaps adding a bit too much cheer to her voice and coming off as more sarcastic than friendly. Eren felt his cheeks heat a bit at the question, feeling that it implied that the two of them were there for some kind of romantic meal instead of a business proposition. Levi apparently didn't mind, more focused on filling his stomach than anything else.

"Yes, we'll take a table outside please," Levi requested, his voice smoother than Eren had ever heard it sound, and the brunette was stunned to see the corners of the older male's mouth curve upwards into a polite smile. The hostess flushed bright pink at the gesture, taken off guard by the raven haired male's charms.

"Ah yes, um, well we normally only seat those with reservations outside due to limited availability, but since there's an empty table for two and the inside is almost full I suppose I can make an exception," she sputtered, her voice higher pitched than normal as she fidgeted with the menus in her hands. Levi's dashing smile widened and he bowed slightly in gratitude, eliciting a squeak and another blush from the flustered hostess.

"I appreciate it, miss…" Levi leaned in slightly to read her name badge, "Hannah. What a lovely name," the older male added, and Eren felt bad for the poor girl who looked like she was going to pass out at any moment.

"T-thank you, s-sir, if you'll just follow me, I'll take you to your table," Hannah blurted out hastily before practically running out of the front door. Eren couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the abnormal politeness and shameless flirting coming from his boss. Levi followed the embarrassed girl, looking rather pleased with himself and Eren really wished that the older male hadn't chosen to sit outside. What if someone saw them sitting together at some cutesy café and got the wrong impression? He would never hear the end of it if someone like Jean happened to walk by and see such a spectacle.

As Eren stepped outside he noticed for the first time that day that the weather was perfect for being outdoors. It was pleasantly cool, yet not enough to warrant wearing a jacket, and there didn't appear to be a single cloud in the sky. A few leaves littered the sidewalk and crunched under the brunette's feet as they were led to their table on the patio surrounded by an intricately molded and decorative black gate and latticework entangled with some kind of pink flower. Levi quickly seated himself and took the menu from the hostess, perusing it with mild interest as Eren reluctantly sat across from him and attempted to make himself comfortable.

"Your waitress will be with you shortly. Enjoy your meal!" Without another word the flustered girl immediately darted back inside the café, leaving the two of them alone once more. Eren shifted uncomfortably in the cushioned pink chair as he picked up the menu and attempted to find something, anything remotely resembling what he ate on a regular basis. Much to his dismay, nearly all the dishes were classic French cuisine, and the things listed on it were dishes he'd only heard of on cooking shows. The only dish he recognized readily was the crepe, and although it sounded delicious, he was uncertain if Levi would berate him for ordering something like that for lunch.

"So many choices, I'm not sure what to pick," Eren decided to bring it up casually, hoping that Levi would maybe make some recommendations to point him in the right direction. The older male folded his menu and set it aside before turning his attention to the brunette, a bored look on his face.

"This menu is actually rather small compared to some places I've been to," Levi stated, leaning back and folding his arms as he became more relaxed. Eren was dismayed that the older male hadn't caught on to the fact that his employee was generally clueless as to what to eat. So, he decided to try a more direct approach.

"Well, um…what are you going to order, sir?" he asked casually, trying to play his question off as mere curiosity.

"_Crème brûlée. _Normally I only come here for their pastries and a cup of coffee, but today I figured I might as well order something extravagant, since this is a somewhat special occasion."

Eren flinched at the reply for some reason, not entirely sure what his boss was implying.

_Oh man, what does he mean by special occasion? Is he going to make a spectacle of firing me or something?_

Eren looked down, chest tightening with worry as he busied himself with searching through the menu, attempting to find the dish in question, but before he could locate it and read its description, their waitress appeared. She was a petite blonde with eyes the color of sapphire, her hair pulled back into a ponytail to keep it out of her way. Eren had to do a double take, because at first he hadn't noticed that she was wearing a rather revealing version of a classic French maid outfit, complete with headband, choker, black stockings and white gloves. On her feet she wore simple black heels that slightly boosted her natural height and clicked on the cement patio as she approached their table.

"G-good afternoon, m-monsieurs…" she greeted them shyly, voice timid and small as the girl it belonged to. Eren usually wasn't one for cheesy roleplaying, but he felt his cheeks redden a bit at the sight. He certainly wasn't expecting to see perverted cosplay at such an establishment. In the back of his mind he wondered if this was part of the reason that Levi was a regular…

"_Bon après-midi, ma petite fleur_," Levi replied fluently, voice smooth as silk, smiling gently and causing the waitress to flush furiously and Eren to go slack jawed. He had no clue that his boss spoke another language, and was rather good at it by the sound of things.

"L-levi? Is that you? I haven't seen you in ages," the girl practically squeaked out her words in surprise, but from the sound of things they were at least acquaintances. Eren wasn't all that surprised, considering Levi frequented the café, and he wondered if perhaps there was something going on between them. The older male nodded and gave her the same dashing smile he'd used with the hostess. The brunette wondered whether this was a habit of his, flirting with girls until they were turned into flustered messes.

"Yes, it's me, and it has been quite a while. How have you been doing, Krista?" Levi replied, returning to standard English as he crossed his legs and focused on the girl before him. Eren couldn't help but notice that she constantly fidgeted with the hem of her skirt, tugging on it as if doing so would magically make it grow in length.

"Oh, um…I've been doing just fine, I've been promoted to head waitress, so I get priority on tables…" she trailed off, pulling out a small notebook from her apron and preparing to take their order. Levi, however, didn't seem to be satisfied with ending the conversation there.

"No more incidents then, I assume?" the older male asked, and Eren felt more like a third wheel by the second, having absolutely no idea what either of them were talking about and remaining politely silent while staring at his menu. The blonde girl blushed an even darker shade of crimson and looked away, shaking her head.

"N-no…"

"Oi! Quit harassing my Krista, you old fart! I'll not have you ruining her innocence!" a deeper, yet still distinctly feminine voice called out from behind the blushing waitress, and Eren looked up from his menu to see a tall, freckled brunette approaching them clad in a black pantsuit with her hair tied into a short ponytail. Upon arriving at their table she promptly threw her arm around the petite waitress's neck and pulled her close, shooting Levi a glare that would send even the bravest men running for the hills.

The raven haired male looked unperturbed, however, as he gazed up at her with his usual impassive expression.

"Hello, Ymir, it's good to see you as well." The reply was dry and sarcastic, but the brunette woman chuckled in response, loosening her grip on Krista and smiling playfully. Eren, who was feeling rather invisible at the moment, was pondering the implications of the woman called Ymir claiming Krista as her own. Perhaps he'd been too quick to judge what kind of relationship Levi had with the blonde girl.

"Sup, Levi? Haven't seen your mug around here in a while, where the hell ya been?" She further draped herself across Krista and put a hand on her hip, looking rather unprofessional.

"Work has kept me rather busy as of late, I apologize for not stopping by but I've been getting home late nearly every single day this month. Glad to see this place hasn't changed," he focused his silver eyes on the petite blonde as he spoke, and her cheeks colored pink once more. Ymir scowled when she noticed the exchange, but it was more of a playful rivalry than anything serious.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of being ignored, Eren received some attention from Ymir, whose eyes drifted over to him and looked him over as if he were some kind of research specimen. After a moment she smiled slyly and looked back at Levi, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"Oh, and who is this, Levi? He's cute, in a rough, boyish sort of way."

"This is Eren, he's my employee. The company was sponsoring lunch for coworkers today, and so here we are," Levi replied casually, cutting his eyes to the brunette in question and then back to Ymir, and for some inexplicable reason Eren felt his face heat up under the older male's gaze and he quickly looked away to avoid eye contact. He hoped that his boss would interpret his bashfulness as a result of Ymir's compliment instead of simply being looked at by him.

The brunette looked at Eren once more, a playful smile crossing her lips. He wasn't entirely sure he liked like the smirk she was wearing.

"I see. Well, it's nice to meet you, Eren. You're really lucky, you know, to be able to drag your boss outside of that stuffy office on a beautiful day like this and make him take time from his oh so busy schedule to sit down and chat. He must think rather highly of you," she gave Levi a sly wink, and he responded with a roll of his eyes and a glance at the rather expensive looking watch adorning his wrist. Eren pondered Ymir's words, and if it was really all that rare for Levi to meet with an employee outside of the office. If so, why was he the exception?

"As much as I'd love to catch up, Eren and I have a limited amount of time for our lunch break and neither of our orders have been taken," he stated bluntly, tapping his foot subtly under the table. Krista made a distressed sound and immediately rushed over to them, poised and waiting to serve.

"Yeah okay, avoid the question. I'll let Krista take care of you guys then," Ymir subtly (but not subtly enough for Eren to miss it) pinched Krista's behind playfully before taking her leave, waving behind her in farewell. The poor bashful blonde was fighting back yet another blush as she spoke.

"What can I get for you to drink, sirs?" she asked in a timid voice, hand shaking a bit as she hovered her pen over the pad of paper she held in her other hand.

"Just a cup of coffee please, black, and a glass of water, and for food I'd like an order of your crème brulee," Levi ordered before looking expectantly at Eren to follow suit.

"Ah, um…do you have any soda?" it was a stupid question, and it made Eren feel like a peasant for asking, but he simply didn't drink tea or coffee often enough to really say he enjoyed them. Krista nodded, a slight smile tugging at the sides of her mouth.

"Yes, we do. The strawberry soda we have is really good, I mean, usually everyone who comes here orders tea or coffee, but a lot of people have complimented us on it. Would you like to try it?"

The brunette's face lit up at the suggestion, and he immediately jumped on the opportunity to order something he was familiar with.

"That sounds great, and I'll take a strawberry banana crepe to go with it," Eren said perhaps a little too enthusiastically. He was just happy that they actually carried drinks that he liked. Luckily for him Levi made no judgment on his order as he handed their menus to Krista.

"Okay, I'll get your order put in and be right back with your drinks," the petite blonde bowed slightly and took her leave, and soon Eren found himself alone once more with his boss. He almost wished that Ymir would reappear, if only to take away some of the tension he was feeling. He hardly knew the woman, but she seemed like the kind of person that could diffuse any situation with some well-placed humor.

"Well, now that all that is out of the way, how about you tell me the real reason why you came to my office yesterday, Eren?" Levi asked, skipping all the personal rapport and focusing on the real issue. The brunette was taken off-guard; he hadn't expected to have to jump straight to the subject, and he swallowed hard as he felt a lump grow in his throat and his chest tighten from anxiety.

"Oh, that…um…well…"

_Come on, Eren, you can do this. Do it for Armin's sake, he deserves the best._

Levi was looking at him expectantly, head resting in his hands and clearly focusing on the brunette in front of him, and Eren knew that now, when he had his bosses' undivided attention, was the time to strike. He exhaled through his nose before taking a deep, relaxing breath and willing himself to speak clearly and with at least a little bit of confidence.

"I came to you because…well, I've been with the company for a few years now, and I am an exceptionally hard worker, and I sincerely believe that it's time for me to move on from my current position…"

Levi caught on quickly enough, having dealt with employees asking for things for as long as he'd worked at that office.

"You want a promotion then, I assume?"

The question was not sarcastic, or incredulous, simply genuinely curious, and that was as much as Eren dared hope for. A new surge of confidence swelled within him, and the brunette sat up a little straighter and dared to look right into Levi's captivating silver eyes.

"Yes, sir."

Levi leaned back a bit, folding his hands neatly in front of him and contemplating for a moment. Time seemed to come to a standstill as Eren waiting for some kind of response, teetering on the edge between elation and despair, depending on the answer that the raven haired male would give. Every second that ticked by made him more of a nervous wreck, and he was glad that he had remembered to put deodorant on that morning, because he was sweating up a storm. After what seemed like an eternity, Levi replied, sitting up straight in his seat and trying to appear at least somewhat professional in such an atmosphere.

"I've watched you work, and it is true that you put much more time and effort into your career than most, that much is certain. Your request is not unreasonable, and I don't see why I couldn't pull some strings to bump you up the ladder. However, I must inform you that once you've been promoted to an Agent, you will need to find yourself a client to sponsor within one month or you will be demoted back to talent scout. The bad news is, with the shortage of actual talented designers recently, I'm not entirely sure that's possible. Not only could you lose your job, you could make our entire company look unprofessional. However, if you are up for the challenge, then I will give you a chance. Sound good?"

Eren felt a whirlwind of emotions in that moment; elation at the prospect of moving up in his career, excitement at the new challenges it would bring, but also fear of the unknown factor; what if he couldn't find a designer to sponsor? He will have failed himself as well as Armin, and that would be devastating. However, what was life without a bit of risk every now and then? If he never tried, how would be know if he would fail? It was new and frightening, yes, but also potentially life changing.

"That sounds awesome!" Eren jumped up from his chair and without thinking grabbed Levi's hand and shook it rigorously, clasping it between both of his own hands as pure joy overtook him. For the first time since Eren had met him, Levi looked genuinely surprised, eyes widened slightly as the brunette beamed at him, smile brighter than the afternoon sun shining down on them.

"Thank you so much, sir! You won't regret this, I promise!" he had gotten so excited that his voice was practically booming, and the way he almost broke Levi's arm by shaking his hand so vigorously had attracted the attention of a couple seated a few feet away them; it was only when Eren saw their confused stares that he finally released his grip on Levi's hands and quietly sat back down, turning red at his almost childlike exuberance. Levi's silver eyes had shrunken back down to their normal size, although he still looked rather taken aback at his employee's sudden outburst.

"Sorry, I guess I got a little too excited there…" Eren chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head, looking down at his feet. Luckily, before Levi could respond, Krista returned with their drinks; a steaming cup of coffee in a pink mug and a clear glass of water for Levi, and a strawberry soda served in a tall glass with a pink and white striped straw and a strawberry slice perched on the side for Eren. The blonde laughed lightly when she saw the embarrassed expression on Eren's face. It was a soft, airy sound, quiet and demure much like the girl it belonged to.

"Did something good happen, Eren? You looked so excited just now," she commented as she placed the drinks in front of their respective customer, pulling out a couple of rose printed coasters before planting the glasses on top. The brunette really wished that she hadn't taken their menus already so that he had something to hide behind. Not wanting to be rude, he nodded slightly and fought back a blush.

"Yeah, actually, I got promoted to Agent, so now I have to find someone to sponsor. Know anyone talented in fashion designing?"

Krista rested her head in her hand, looking pensive. After a moment it looked as if a light bulb clicked on inside her head. She fidgeted a bit, shifting her weight from one leg to another as she spoke.

"Um, well, I can sew…but um…I usually just use patterns...I haven't really tried making my own design yet…so, I know that I'm not exactly what you're looking for, but if you ever need someone to put an outfit together…" she trailed off, looking down at her feet and playing with a ring on her finger. Suddenly Eren remembered the discovery he'd made the previous day.

_Oh! The ring! I guess I should ask Levi if he knows who it belongs to before I give up and turn it in to lost and found…_

He fingered the small golden band inside of his pocket as he smiled gently at the blonde girl, hoping to put her more at ease. She seemed to be the type of person who would open up once they felt comfortable enough to do so.

"I'll keep you in mind, Krista. I'm sure once we head towards the busy holiday months some seamstress positions will open up."

Almost instantaneously Krista's face lit up and she smiled genuinely, and Eren couldn't help but be taken aback at how much more attractive the blonde became when she was smiling. It was almost as if she was an entirely different person. In fact, the roses growing around the restaurant would be hard pressed to complete with her beauty.

"Thank you so much, Eren! I'll be back soon with your food!" Soon she was heading back into the restaurant, leaving the brunette alone with his boss once again, who was currently staring at him with an amused look. Eren looked back at him after a moment, not realizing that he'd been watching Krista long after she'd departed from their table.

"Um…why are you looking at me like that, sir?" Eren asked genuinely confused as to why his boss looked as if he'd heard some kind of priceless joke that he hadn't been privy to. Levi leaned back in his chair, arms remaining folded as he continued to look rather smug.

"Sorry to break it to you kid, but Krista is already taken, so I'd forget about pursuing that particular interest unless you want to get your ass kicked by a certain tall, freckled she wolf…" the raven haired male stated bluntly, and for the millionth time that day Eren turned beet red and shook his head vigorously to emphasize that he had not been thinking those kind of thoughts.

"T-that's not…I wasn't going to try anything…she's not really my type, anyway…" he was mumbling by the time he finished his sentence, and he was sure that he sounded less than convincing. Levi rose a thin eyebrow at his answer, intrigued that anyone could possibly consider passing up a chance to court such a fair damsel, had they the chance.

"Oh, and what is your type, then?"

It was a simple question, probably not meant to imply anything, and yet Eren couldn't help but think that it was somewhat unusual, maybe even inappropriate, for a boss to ask his employee such a thing.

"Um, I don't really know…I haven't really thought about it that much…" It was true, usually he was too busy with work or making sure that he and Armin had enough money to eat and keep the roof over their heads to think about dating. In fact, he'd only been involved in one miserable failure of a relationship in his entire life, and out of fear of not wanting to repeat the incident, he'd just steered clear of romance altogether. Levi didn't need to know that part, though.

"I see…" Levi wanted to point out that if Eren didn't know what he found attractive, then how did he know Krista wasn't his type? Obviously he'd made the kid uncomfortable already, judging by the way he was squirming in his seat, and so he decided to leave it at that.

"Anyway…" Eren quickly changed the subject before Levi could ask any more personal questions, "I wanted to ask you, um, I found this in the elevator the other day," he pulled out the small golden band from his pocket and placed it gently on the table, pushing it within Levi's reach so that he could inspect it, "any idea whose ring this might be?"

Up until that moment, Levi had been in what Eren had deemed a fair mood for his boss, smiling occasionally and even cracking a joke or two. The moment his silver eyes swept over the table to glimpse the small golden band, however, it was as if he'd seen something vile, something malicious that he looked upon with scorn, and although he hadn't uttered a word, Eren could see from the unsettled expression on his bosses' face that something was wrong. He seemed to be frozen to the spot, staring down at the piece of jewwlry with distaste.

Confused about the unexpected reaction, Eren decided to speak up, becoming uncomfortable at watching Levi be uncomfortable.

"Um…did I do something wrong, sir? If this is yours I'm sorry that I picked it up, I just didn't want it to stay lost forever…"

"It's not mine. I've never seen it before." It was an almost immediate response, and Eren found it highly suspicious that Levi hadn't even so much as picked up the ring to examine it before denying that it belonged to him. Perhaps it was from an ex? The brunette was dying to investigate further, however before he had a chance Krista returned with their food, and he snatched the ring up and shoved it back into his pocket to avoid awkward questions from the petite blonde as she placed Eren's crepe in front of him.

The rest of their lunch went rather smoothly considering Levi's random mood swing, and the food had been incredibly delicious and well worth the price. Eren paid with a voucher, and after a bit of small talk while they finished their drinks, Levi left a generous tip and walked back to the office building with Eren. Most of the way was spent talking about their dining experience, and the brunette was fine with that, because although there were so many things he was curious to know about the mysterious raven haired male, he'd ultimately gotten what he'd been after in the first place.

As they entered the sliding glass doors into the main lobby, Eren absentmindedly fingered the golden band in his pocket, and although he knew it was probably best to turn it into lost and found, a part of him was absolutely certain that despite his denial, it belonged to Levi, and some way or another, he would return it to him, if only to put his conscience to rest.

Eren pressed the button to summon the elevator, and the two of them entered the small space as soon as the doors slid open, both of them pressing the number of their respective floors. Eren really, really hated awkward silences, and so he felt obligated to say something to break the tension as the doors slid closed behind them.

"I had fun…I'm glad you recommended that place, it was really good…" Eren tried his best to start a conversation, although by the way Levi was nodding and looking off in a random direction it seemed futile.

"Mmhmm."

Eren sighed. He really probably should just shut up now, but considering they still had a few floors to go, he pushed to make the ride at least somewhat comfortable.

"Um…and thanks for the promotion, I really appreciate it…you giving me a chance that is…I can't wait to go home and tell my brother the good news. He's the one who pushed me to work harder and gave me the courage to ask you," he said, smiling fondly as he pictured the look on Armin's face when he would tell him that he'd finally done it, that things were going to start looking up for them.

Levi took notice of the contented look on Eren's face, and when he thought back to all the times he'd ever seen the brunette, he couldn't recall a single instance when he had looked so genuinely happy. For some strange reason, seeing his employee in such a good mood seemed to lift his own spirits, although it didn't show outwardly. Not one to talk about family since he had no close relatives to speak of, he avoided to subject and instead reminded Eren of his new obligations as an Agent.

"Just remember, you need to find someone to sponsor within the next month…"

The brunette didn't seem perturbed in the slightest, in fact he seemed rather sure of himself.

"No problem! I've got a talent for finding other people's talent. It's one of the few things I'm actually good at," Eren chuckled lightly, and just then the elevator came to a halt, arriving on the brunette's floor. He stepped out, holding a hand over the doors to keep them from closing as he turned to face the older male once again.

"See you tomorrow, sir!" he said cheerfully as he departed, smiling brightly and waving his goodbye, and before Levi had a chance to reply, the elevator doors slid closed, and he was alone once more. A strange, fluttering sensation began in his chest, and Levi hadn't realized until that moment that he'd been smiling.

_Damn that brat, infecting me with his annoyingly cheerful attitude._

When he finally arrived on his floor, Levi's expression returned to its neutral state, and when he stepped out of the elevator and onto the shiny black surface of the lobby floor, he immediately noticed the absence of his nosy secretary Hanji, which was highly unusual, because she rarely left the office for lunch, instead usually bringing a cup of instant ramen and streaming different television shows on her phone during the break.

It was eerily silent as Levi made his way down the hall towards his office, peeking into the small makeshift kitchen that housed the floor's refrigerator to see if maybe Hanji had stowed away in there for some reason. It was empty, in fact it seemed as though the entire floor was abandoned. Levi began to feel uneasy as he fished his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door to his office, completely taken off guard when he saw that the lights inside were on, although he distinctly remembered switching them off when he left…

"There you are, Levi. Might I ask where you've been?"

The sound of another voice, deep and masculine, made him jump, and his attention was immediately turned in the direction of the sound. There, behind his very own work desk, sat a tall, muscular blonde with sky blue eyes fixated on him. His head rested on his hands, fingers intertwined as he stared at Levi almost judgmentally.

"Erwin. What are you doing here?" he tried to keep the trembling of being surprised out of his voice, and although he was largely successful, he still felt as if he was on trial as the blonde rose from his seat, hands behind his back and expensive dress shoes clicking on the smooth tile floor. He was dressed in what had to have been a few thousand dollar business suit, sleek and black with a matching tie. He was intimidating to say the least.

He slowly approached the shorter male, closing in on him as if he were a predator surveying its prey.

"I came to visit you, of course. It isn't very often that I get to take time away from my busy schedule to see you these days, Levi. I'm a little hurt that you forgot that I was going to be stopping by today," the blonde said in an accusatory tone, a hint of anger tinting his words. Levi instinctively backed up when he sensed an aura of danger begin to emanate from the taller male, but Erwin followed him step for step until he felt his back hit the smooth surface of the wall, effectively pinning him down.

"I was meeting with an employee…I texted you about it…" Levi swallowed hard as he attempted to talk his way out of being cornered. He felt his own anger rise within him at being interrogated in his own office, although he felt powerless to act on it. Erwin drew closer to him until only a few inches remained between the two, and the blonde shook his head, feigning sadness.

"You know I can't check my phone when I'm working, Levi. Imagine my dismay when I received your message after I arrived. Do you know how upset I was to find an empty office after coming all this way?" A calloused hand stroked Levi's cheek almost too gently, and the raven haired male attempted to pull away from the touch, not keen on public displays of affection.

It was the wrong move, only serving to fuel the blonde's rising anger, and before he had time to react Levi felt his hair being pulled back roughly as Erwin grabbed a handful of the raven locks and tugged until the shorter male winced in pain, choking back a curse. Tears of pain formed in the corners of his eyes, and Levi bit his lip harshly to distract himself.

"You have no right to deny me, Levi. Don't forget who handed you this position on a silver platter. Do you know how many qualified men and women I had to turn down to ensure that you got hired? The tabloids had a field day speculating on why a nobody like you suddenly became important overnight. I paid a hefty sum to shut them up. I had reporters in my face everyday for a month. You owe me everything, Levi, and I won't let you forget it."

As if to spare him from whatever was coming next, Levi heard the distinct chipper voice of Hanji come from the end of the hallway, and he was thankful that he hadn't had time to close the door behind him because Erwin immediately loosened his grip on the shorter male's hair when he heard the annoying secretary call for Levi. He sighed and looked into Levi's eyes, sky blue meeting silver in a heated gaze.

"I apologize for acting so rashly. You know I don't enjoy hurting you, right Levi?"

The raven haired male was not convinced in the slightest, yet he nodded anyway to avoid further confrontation. Erwin smiled brightly, a huge contrast to the dangerous behavior he'd displayed only seconds before.

"Good. I'll always take care of you, Levi, so stop pushing me away and let me do it."

"…" Levi remained silent as he looked away, wishing that he were just about anywhere else right now…

"I'll see you this weekend at the usual place. Until then," he leaned in close until his breath was hot against Levi's ear, keeping one eye open and wary of Hanji slowly approaching the office, "think of me and only me."

With that Erwin took his leave, cheerfully greeting Hanji when they met in the hallway, and Levi quickly smoothed a hand through his hair to get rid of the disheveled look the blonde had impressed on him. He released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, and the tightness in his chest relaxed a bit at the blonde's absence. He'd tried so many things, so many different ways to cope with Erwin's unwanted advances, and none of them had yet to work. Trying to distance himself failed miserably when the taller male had such a commanding presence, and actually trying to enjoy the attention was out of the question.

He had to tolerate it, but he didn't have to enjoy it. Although he'd been present enough in mind to pull away from his touch, nearly the entire time the blonde had interacted with him Levi's mind had been elsewhere. Perhaps it was a new form of escapism on his part, but he'd found himself thinking back to his lunchtime spent with Eren; the somewhat relaxed atmosphere, the way the brunette hadn't expected anything of him, hadn't made him do anything except engage in conversation. It had been one of the rare occasions that he'd actually felt willing to stay grounded, to be present and pay attention to what someone else had to say without drifting off into his own thoughts and worries.

Although it had been for a very short while, Eren had made him forget how miserable he was, and he didn't think he'd ever be able to repay him for it. Lost in thought, he hardly noticed when Hanji popped in to check on him, apologizing for being absent because she had to pick up more ramen from the local convenience store.

"Oh! I'm really sorry I forgot to tell you that Mr. Smith arrived early, but I couldn't reach you. It kept going straight to voicemail." She pushed her glasses up her nose and gave him an apologetic look as she balanced a handful of folders in her hands.

"Yeah. Sorry about that. Go ahead and finish whatever you were doing," he tried not to sound too dismissive, but he was in no mood to chat, and Hanji took the hint, bowing slightly and closing the door behind her, careful not to slam it.

Days of stress and nights of troubled sleep finally seemed to catch up to him then, and he felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him as he begrudgingly walked over to his desk and plopped down into his cushy office chair, breaking his own rules and propping his feet up on the smooth varnished surface of his desktop. His hand seemed to move of its own accord as he fished a tiny key out of his pocket and used it to unlock the bottom drawer of his desk. Once the lock clicked open he pulled the drawer out and looked down at its contents with a frown.

Among a pile of outdated paperwork sat a silver flask, gleaming in the artificial incandescence of the office lights. Levi hesitated a moment before letting his withdrawal symptoms get the best of him and grabbing the small metal object, relieved when he felt liquid sloshing around inside. Wasting no time he popped open the lid and inhaled the familiar scent of whiskey, harsh and distinct yet oddly comforting.

He brought the flask to his lips and tilted it, opening his mouth and bracing himself as the bitter liquid washed over his tongue, burning his throat as he swallowed. It wasn't enough to get him drunk since he had to drive home, but it certainly did help to take the edge off his anxiety. He exhaled through his nose and leaned back in his chair, studying the ceiling and cursing the almost sterile whiteness of the walls.

_If only annoyingly upbeat brats came in a bottle._

* * *

"Armin! I'm home!" Eren called out as he crossed the threshold into the house, scratching Annie behind the ears when she jumped up to greet him. When he heard no response, Eren deduced that Armin must be shut up in his room, reading or taking a nap as he often did on his days off. The brunette could barely contain his excitement over the good news, and he'd been in an amazingly good mood ever since he'd parted with Levi on the elevator. He'd even caught himself singing along to a few songs on the radio during the drive home. He dropped his messenger bag on the floor beside the door and kicked off his shoes before ascending the stairs, Annie on his heels. When he arrived on the second floor he heard Armin's muffled voice coming from behind his closed door, and although he wasn't one to pry, he couldn't help but listen in. He quietly tip toed over to the door, resting his ear against it in an attempt to hear better.

"You're so cute…I'm really glad that I found you before anyone else did…"

It was faint, as if the blonde was trying to keep his voice hushed, and Eren wondered just who in the world Armin was talking to, and with a confused look on his face he continued to listen, hoping against hope that the blonde hadn't invited some girl over while he was gone…

"You want to play, don't you? I'm sorry, I don't really have any toys, so I guess my fingers will have to do."

Eren's face heated and he flushed bright red, the implications of Armin's statement sinking in, and suddenly he wondered if he really should be listening to this…

"Ow! Hey! No biting! I know you're feisty but geeze…"

Although no one was looking, Eren buried his face in his hands out of sheer embarrassment. Not only was his practically little brother fooling around with someone, they were getting kinky about it! Annie had grown bored and plopped down in front of Eren's door, head between her paws as she drifted off to sleep.

"Let's move to the bed, my knees are starting to hurt from kneeling on this hard wood floor."

_Shit, should I do something? I mean, I know he's a teenager and all and that this was inevitable but still…_

Eren heard the distinct sound of someone climbing onto the bed as the frame creaked, and he was practically sweating from the implications…

"Finished already? Geeze, we just started. I guess you can sleep on me if you really want to, though."

That was it, Eren couldn't have whoever had sullied Armin's innocence to take a nap in his house, under his roof. With a new found conviction, Eren knocked on the door, the sound resounding throughout the hallway.

"Armin, I need to talk to you, right now!" it came out angrier than he'd intended, but damn it, he wasn't about to let whoever laid hands on his precious little brother get away scot free. He heard a rustling of blankets and few hushed words that sounded like instructions to stay there and hide before footsteps sounded on the other side and Armin hesitantly opened the door, cracking it wide enough to show his face but not wide enough to be inviting.

"Oh! Eren! You're home early…" he sounded rather nervous, and Eren looked him over in search of any evidence of foul play. The blonde must have been rather good at hiding things, because although he stared at Armin for a good minute, he couldn't find a hair out of place. The brunette furrowed his eyebrows and crossed his arms, giving Armin a less than pleased look.

"Spare me the small talk, Armin, I know you're hiding something, I heard everything just now!"

The blonde turned white as a sheet at the statement and his sapphire blue eyes widened in surprise. Despite the obvious signs that he was lying, he denied any involvement.

"I don't know what you're talking about, I'm not hiding anything…" before he could say anything else, Eren pushed open the door and brushed the blonde aside. He headed straight for twin sized bed, which was usually neatly made, eying the messed up sheets and blankets with suspicion.

"What are you doing?! Stop!" Armin protested as Eren approached the bed, grabbing a handful of the sheets and pulling them back. Before he could reveal whatever lie beneath them, however, Armin grabbed his wrist in an attempt to stop him. It didn't work, however, and the brunette pulled away from him with ease, intent on seeing for himself what the lump beneath the covers was.

"I'm going to find out who's been in here with you and make them pay…" he quickly pulled back all the layers of blankets to reveal the being that had dared to touch his little brother….

Only to find a small, extremely adorable grey kitten staring up at him with big blue eyes.

"What the…" he stared in shock at the tiny creature, still unable to comprehend why he'd found a feline instead of a human being in his brother's bed. After a moment of staring down at the kitten he turned to look at Armin, who was practically in tears.

"I knew you wouldn't want me to keep him, because he's another mouth to feed, but…I just couldn't leave him all alone…I found him under the porch..." a few warm, salty tears began to stream down the blonde's face, and Eren's previously pissed off expression softened into one of understanding as he pulled Armin into a gentle embrace.

"I'm sorry, Armin. I didn't know you were just hiding a kitten in here. I know you love animals way too much to abandon him. I guess I don't really mind if you keep him, as long as you clean his litter box," he patted Armin's head and broke away from the hug to give him a gentle smile, and the blonde immediately brightened up, eyes shining with excitement.

"Really? You're the best, Eren!" he squeezed Eren tightly once more before running over to the bed and scooping up the kitten in arms, nuzzling his face into the soft grey fur.

"Did you hear that, kitty? You get to stay here with us!"

Eren smiled as he watched his adopted little brother lavish the kitten with attention, and now that he was calm enough to think, he decided that now would be the time to share the good news with Armin. Before he could speak, however, the blonde turned to him, sitting on the edge of the bed as he cradled the tiny feline in his arms. His eyebrows furrowed in consternation as the brunette's earlier implications finally sunk in.

"Wait a minute, what do you mean you didn't know I was just hiding a kitten? What in the world did you think I was…" blue eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as he glimpsed the slight pink flush on Eren's cheeks, and he himself turned bright red with embarrassment at just what the brunette had assumed he'd been doing behind closed doors.

"Eren! Get your mind out of the gutter! I'd never do anything like that…at least not when I knew you were coming home soon…"

As much as Eren wanted to pick on the blonde for the "at least" part, he figured that he'd probably put Armin through enough embarrassment for one day. The brunette rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, and decided that if there were ever a time for a change of subject, now would be ideal.

"Sorry…anyway! Something really awesome happened at work today!" he said, excitement building in his voice as he leaned forward, green eyes practically sparkling. Armin normally wouldn't have let his brother off for accusing him of doing perverted things so easily, but the way the brunette was looking at him now had him intrigued. He stroked the sleeping kitten in his lap, the tiny feline's purring reverberating across his skin.

"Really? What? Tell me!" he exclaimed, immediately lowering his voice when the kitten stirred in its slumber.

Eren puffed his chest out proudly and put his hands on his hips in an almost heroic pose.

"I got promoted to Agent!"

Armin's eyes immediately lit up and he smiled wide, ecstatic that Eren had finally gotten the acknowledgment he deserved. He silently congratulated himself as well for prompting the brunette to take action.

"That's great, Eren! Congratulations! I take it your lunch meeting went well, then?"

"Yeah, it was pretty fun, actually. Levi's a pretty nice guy once you get to know him a little," he smiled fondly as he remembered his boss opening up little by little, smiling and telling jokes as if he were a completely different person.

"That's good, I'm glad you guys are getting along. Hey! I know! We should celebrate by ordering pizza and playing video games all night!" Armin exclaimed, jumping up and placing the kitten gently down onto the bed before fishing out his cellphone to dial the number to their favorite pizza parlor.

"Sounds great! Let's go to the gas station and get some soda while we wait!" Eren said excitedly, already heading to his room to get changed into casual clothes for the rest of the evening. Things were finally looking up for the two of them, who had basically started from scratch to build a comfortable family life, and Eren swore to himself that somehow, someway, he would share the happiness he felt with Levi, who seemed like he could use it most of all.

_I promise I'll make it up to you, Levi, just wait!_


End file.
